[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 260915
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-261200-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
515 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...KATRINA REGAINS HURRICANE STRENGTH OVER THE GULF WATERS SOUTH OF
EVERGLADES CITY...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN
LEE COUNTY NORTH TO LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY...
...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY IN
MANATEE COUNTY NORTH TO ANCLOTE KEY IN PINELLAS COUNTY...
...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...
MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
LATEST FORECAST TAKES KATRINA MORE WESTWARD...WHICH SHOULD LESSEN
THE IMPACT FOR OUR REGION. GREATEST RISK REMAINS OVER OUR GULF
COASTAL WATERS WHERE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ARE STILL EXPECTED.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...
MANATEE...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE
COUNTY NORTH TO LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY. A TROPICAL STORM
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY NORTH TO
ANCLOTE KEY IN PINELLAS COUNTY. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND
HIGHLANDS COUNTIES UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 5 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.5 WEST. THIS POSITION WAS ABOUT
90 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF FORT MYERS. KATRINA WAS MOVING WEST
AT 5 MPH.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE CORE OF THE HEAVY RAIN IS NOW EXPECTED TO REMAIN OFFSHORE...
HOWEVER RAIN BANDS WILL CONTINUE TO ROTATE ACROSS THE STATE WITH THE
HIGHEST RAINFALL TOTALS EXPECTED OVER LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES.
THE POTENTIAL FOR FRESHWATER FLOODING STILL EXISTS AND THE FLOOD
WATCH WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES CAN EXPECT 4 TO 6 INCHES OF
RAIN WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. MANATEE...SARASOTA...HARDEE...
DESOTO AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES CAN EXPECT 2 TO 4 INCHES. AREAS FROM
PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH AND POLK COUNTIES NORTH CAN EXPECT 1 TO 3
INCHES OF RAIN.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WILL SHIFT TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST
AND WILL INCREASE TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH IN RAINBANDS THIS
MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE CENTER OF KATRINA MOVES THROUGH THE
GULF.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ON SATURDAY WITH
THE STRONGER RAIN BANDS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE STORM.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
OFFSHORE WINDS WILL HOLD OFF THE STORM SURGE UNTIL LATE SATURDAY
WHEN WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTH AND CAUSE A QUICK RISE IN
TIDAL LEVELS. THE FORT MYERS AND PUNTA GORDA AREAS COULD SEE TIDES 2
TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. THESE HIGHER TIDAL
LEVELS WILL THEN SHIFT NORTHWARD REACHING CLEARWATER SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. TAMPA BAY WILL LIKELY SEE TIDES 2 TO 4 FEET SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. TIDES FROM PORT RICHEY TO CRYSTAL RIVER WILL BE 3 TO 5
FEET ABOVE NORMAL SUNDAY EVENING. CEDAR KEY AND THE SOUTH EXPOSURE OF
LEVY COUNTY WILL SEE TIDES 3 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL EARLY MONDAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL KATRINA PASSES BY THE AREA
AND WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE. SEAS WILL
INCREASE UP TO 10 FEET OFFSHORE BY THIS EVENING...AND POSSIBLY
BUILD AS HIGH AS 15 FEET OFFSHORE LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BETWEEN 7 AND 730 AM.

$$

JILLSON

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